Trump & Melania's Travel Sleeping Arrangements Hint The Handholding Is All For Show

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When Donald and Melania Trump flew across the pond for his second state visit to the U.K. in September 2025, they made a point of appearing united and all lovey-dovey in front of the royals and the watching world. Frankly, we've never seen this much touching and handholding from the presidential couple since rumors about their impending divorce exploded and became nonstop fodder for tabloids. But don't let those sweet gestures fool you — it appears the public displays of affection were all purely for show. A source inside the palace revealed that Donald and Melania requested to sleep in separate bedrooms during the historic trip — yet another damning hint they can't stand each other behind closed doors.

"Below-stairs wags, noting that Melania has a separate suite, joke that if she'd asked for a water bed she could effortlessly drift apart from Donald," the Daily Mail's "Ephraim Hardcastle" column reads. Alastair Bruce, a royal commentator for Sky News and ABC News, also noted that guest suites for visiting dignitaries at Windsor include both a double and a single bed to accommodate couples, yet the Trumps asked to be kept in separate bedrooms anyway. In fact, sources claim this has been their preferred arrangement for years. While such setups are not unheard of for political couples — for instance, the late John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie — "I think it's pretty unusual now to have a separate room from your husband," Kate Andersen Brower, author of "First in Line: Presidents, Vice Presidents, and the Pursuit of Power," told People. She added, "I think that speaks volumes [about the Trumps]." And she's not alone in that assessment. 

Kate Anderson Brower's analysis of Donald and Melania Trump's living arrangement echoes what another Trump biographer has said about their marriage. Michael Wolff, the author behind 2018's "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," similarly painted a bleak portrait of the couple's relationship dynamic during an appearance on The Daily Beast podcast in May 2025. Of the pair, he said, "They clearly do not in any way inhabit a marriage as we define marriage. And I think maybe we can more specifically say they live separate lives." He then ignited the Trump divorce rumors with just three simple words: "They are separated. ... The president of the United States and the first lady are separated."

While both the POTUS and the first lady haven't responded to these claims, a source told the Daily Mail (via The Mirror) that just because they prefer separate spaces doesn't mean their marriage is failing. During Donald's first term, the first couple reportedly stuck to a nightly routine, including catching up over dinner before calling it a night and retreating to their respective bedrooms. "They ate dinner together every night, though they did not share a bedroom," an insider dished. "Trump slept in a room adjacent to the yellow oval room."

But other reports claim they simply couldn't stand being around each other. On the rare nights when Melania visits over from New York, where she lives with their son, Barron Trump, a source told Us Weekly that the FLOTUS still refuses to share a bed with Donald. "Melania wants as little to do with Donald as possible. She is not interested in Donald, the presidency or anything involving him," the source emphasized. Hence why, when traveling overseas, she also insists on booking a separate suite from her president husband, as revealed in a New York Times report in 2018.